Exhibition designer Rick Pearson needed a way of three dimensionally representing the logo of local Waitakere iwi Te Kawerau a Maki for a new display.  The logo features a hue (gourd) with a kawerau (strap) carried by Maki (the iwi’s notable rangitira or chief)  - Te kawerau a maki i.e.  "the carrying strap of Maki” from an incident in the life of the chief and from which the iwi takes their name.

 

Transforming a tiny highly stylised logo into a large wooden object was a challenge. Coincidentally at an auction house I came across a beautifully shaped ipu (bowl) in the shape of a gourd, the upside down bowl was the inspiration for three dimensionally representing the shape. I found a large piece of totara in Whangarei and it was brought to the workshop.  The beautiful strap was woven by……?